KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CBS Local) — A police officer in Kansas City inadvertently lost some of the cremated remains of a suspect’s grandmother during a search of the man, officials said.

Officers stopped Deonta Words on May 30 during an investigation of a multi-state ring of auto dealership burglaries, according to the Kansas City Police Department.

During a search, which police said is department policy, officers found a necklace with a bullet attached to it, CBS affiliate KCTV reported. KCPD said the officer unscrewed the bullet to examine the contents, and a portion of the ashes fell out accidentally.

Officers said that’s when Words told them his grandmother’s ashes were inside.